We brewed this ale with around 40% rye as a base malt and let our sour yeast and bacteria eat away at it in oak barrels for over a year creating a sour ale with a complex character of rye spice, oak and a subtle funk.

Reviews by ineva:

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Thanks to Jeff for splitting his bottle. Now that this is available in Michigan, I can decide whether or not it's worth dropping 17-18$ on a few bottles for myself. Super clear and clean amber body with a fuzzy and fizzling, off-white cap. The head sparks up like foam from a soda and is gone in just a few moments. I've gotta say... I wasn't expecting this kind of clarity from a wild ale, but it looks really nice.

Whew... crazy tart aroma. The kind of aroma that stings your nostrils and gets jettisoned into your brain cells, sending your saliva glands into sprinkler mode. Lots and lots of vinegar, lactic acid and wet oak, accompanied by lighter fruit reminders like lemon flesh, peels, and wet cherry skins. Tannins abound with some woody dryness at the end. This is going to be tart... I just know it.

First sip causes immediate puckering of the lips, cheeks touching, glands sweating, etc... Super tart up-front, no holds barred type of shit here. Wincing white wine vinegar, soaked oak, acidic and lactic acid, prompt stone fruit skins, a touch of lemon juice, and the most faint appearance of dry rye in the finish. Perhaps my senses are tricking me with the rye dryness... it could be a quality of the oak-aging as well.

Sour in the Rye is a sourheads dream, but be warned - while there is plentiful vinous presence here, white grapes, oak, and the like, the vinegar aspect outweighs it by quite a bit. I know many sour fans who aren't too keen on the heavy "vinegar" flavors, but luckily - I am, and so Sour in the Rye floats almost every boat that I have. Thin, wet, crispy and sharp mouth feel with a gum line receding dryness in the finish.

Very awesome stuff, if you're into puckeringly sour and vinegar-laden wild ales. This brew isn't for everyone, but it's certainly for me. Although it's sometimes hard to justify spending nearly 20$ for a bottle of beer, I think I can easily make a case in my mind to keep a few bottles of Sour in the Rye stocked at all times, when I'm in the mood for something white wine-y and sour.

Very few beers strike the palate with the perfect complement of sour, earth, fruit and spice. But its good news that one such beer is made in California and I'm fortunate enough to taste a sip from now and then.

Its turbulent pour leads to a quick separation of hazt golden-orange beer to anchor and a frothy and airy eggshell-white foam.Its retention is strong as is its intricate lacing patterns.

Piercing sharpness reaches the nose with lime, white wine vinegar, sour grapes and crab apples. As its mere scent locks up the jowls, other musty wood, cork, sweaty, cellar and sea air scents waft about to deliver savory and earhty impressions heading into taste.

Its raw earthiness is spicy and rustic as the rye grains complement a dry, lighlty toasted crouton taste, but with all that acidity building above. Just into the taste, the lime, apple skin and sour grape flavor takes hold and easily topples its early malt complement. Quickly developing into dries lemons, limes, apple and spiced pear, its the sourness of apple cider vinegar and light must that stems from the clean lactic sourness that finishes its taste.

Only a whisper of attic wood and lime extend, even though the ale starts out light and obviously acidic. As the malt support fades, the ale prances on with wine-like balances and textures, until a quick finish is mineral-rich and with earthen spice.

The taste of rye and sour is a challenging attempt as both types are highly polarizing and not widespread just yet. But its added complexity is undeniable taste that's salty, briney and deeply earthen.

A - Pours a beautiful clear copper with one and a half fingers of white head. Head has pretty good retention before fading to a collar. Surprisingly high amount of lacing left behind. Slow but steady stream of rising carbonation.

T - Initial tartness is quite mild, with a pretty high malt presence, though more tartness does eventually come out. Tartness is on the lemony end of the spectrum. There is a bit of earthiness and faint spice, but I am struggling to pick up much in the way of rye. Pretty good though.

M - Medium mouthfeel with some earthy dryness and a tart finish.

O - Definitely brings something different to the sour arena. While it isn't my favorite sour, or even favorite sour from the Bruery, I can appreciate that they were doing something a bit different with this one.